the Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

The Idea of You by Amanda Prowse

With her fortieth birthday approaching, Lucy Carpenter thinks she finally has it all: a wonderful new husband, Jonah, a successful career and the chance of a precious baby of her own. Life couldn’t be more perfect.

But becoming parents proves much harder to achieve than Lucy and Jonah imagined, and when Jonah’s teenage daughter Camille comes to stay with them, she becomes a constant reminder of what Lucy doesn’t have. Jonah’s love and support are unquestioning, but Lucy’s struggles with work and her own failing dreams begin to take their toll. With Camille’s presence straining the bonds of Lucy’s marriage even further, Lucy suddenly feels herself close to losing everything…

This heart-wrenchingly poignant family drama from bestselling author Amanda Prowse asks the question: in today’s hectic world, what does it mean to be a mother?–Goodreads

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a well-written, highly emotional novel about family and second chances–perfect for a quiet afternoon to yourself.

If you enjoy reading books that mirror real life and include tough decisions for the main character, this one will do nicely. I liked a lot of things about this book. The way the author described the relationships and emotional upheaval of her characters made me feel very close to the story early on, and there was enough going on in the story to keep the pages moving quickly. The setting was described adequately but without the minutia that can slow a story down.

Lucy was someone that I could easily identify with, and I cared what happened to her right away. I thought the author did an excellent job of hinting at what had happened to her earlier in life without giving away the entire end of the book early on. I was especially enthralled with the relationship between Lucy and her stepdaughter, as it rang so true.

This was an entertaining book that kept me busy for an entire afternoon and I would happily recommend it to those who like serious novels. It made me cry–but in a good way.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through netgalley. All opinions are my own.